Snow and water skiing are enjoyed around the world. There is evidence that snow skiing has been employed in Norway and Sweden since the beginning of recorded history. Recreational downhill skiing has been enjoyed since the mid-1800s and significantly grew in popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. Water skiing was invented in 1920s using a pair of boards as skis and a clothesline as a towrope. Over the years, binding systems for snow and water skis have been refined for safety. Snowboarding developed in the United States during the 1960s and wakeboarding arose during the 1980s. Both snowboarding and wakeboarding have grown in popularity throughout the world.